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Cape Verde opposed to selection of Serifo Nhamadjo as Guinea Bissau’s interim president 17 May 2012

Cape Verdean Prime Minister José Maria Neves remains firm in stating Cape Verde’s “zero tolerance” of coup d’états, and expressed the country’s opposition to the naming, on the part of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), of which both Guinea Bissau and Cape Verde are a part, of Serifo Nhamadjo to lead Guinea Bissau’s transition government. According to Neves, “someone who is part of the problem cannot be a solution.”

After meeting with the political parties represented in the Cape Verdean parliament – the PAICV, the MpD and the UCID – the Prime Minister reaffirmed his previously stated position on Guinea Bissau. “Cape Verde is opposed, as a matter of principle, to any coup d’état, and believes that no concessions should be made to – in other words, there should be zero tolerance of – any coup d’état.”

José Maria Neves continues to believe that the situation “is very complex” and affirms that “there should be a great deal of dialogue and all necessary coordination between the ECOWAS, the African Union, the Community of Portuguese Language Countries and the United Nations to find a lasting solution.”

“Before any more radical measures are taken, we should seek to bring together all sides in order to find a negotiable solution to the conflict and to this extremely complex situation,” he added.

“We believe that constitutional order must be restored, and there needs to be space for all sides to negotiate and find a lasting solution to the country’s problem, a solution that does not include the existing solution, because this solution [the naming of Serifo Nhamadjo to lead the transition government] will not resolve Guinea Bissau’s problem,” he said.

“He is someone who is part the conflict, he is a part of the problem, and we cannot resolve Guinea Bissau’s situation in a lasting way with people who are part of the conflict. We have to find a more wide-reaching action plan involving all sides so that we can have a more definitive solution,” he affirmed.

Questioned regarding opposition party MpD’s suggestion for direct dialogue with Guinea Bissau, José Maria Neves admitted that Cape Verde has been engaging in such dialogue since the day of the coup (April 12), both through the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“We have had intense dialogue with all of the parties involved, but this dialogue has to be carried out discretely. Cape Verde has made an important contribution in the ECOWAS, in the CPLP and in the United Nations, in the search for better solutions to resolve the situation in Guinea Bissau,” according to the Prime Minister.

“We’ve taken other measures, specifically in terms of community support, and Cape Verde would like to contribute strongly far from the media spotlight, which could jeopardize the country’s very contribution for there to be a negotiable solution that brings all sides together in dialogue,” concluded the Prime Minister.